Ginger chocolate cake

Makes:

8 to 10 servings

¾ cup unsalted butter ( 1 ½ sticks), plus softened butter for greasing the pan

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate ( 60%), broken into small pieces

¼ cup Dutch- processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting 1 rounded tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 ( 8- ounce) container crème fraîche ( 1 cup)

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ginger liqueur or cognac ( optional)

6 large eggs, separated Clementine confit, for serving

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottomand sides of a 9- inch springform pan with the softened butter. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the paper.

2. Combine the butter and chocolate in a medium bowl, and set the bowl over a pan of barely simmeringwater. Stir occasionally until mostly melted and remove fromheat. Continue stirring until smooth and let cool slightly. Add cocoa, fresh ginger, ground ginger, vanilla, salt, ¼ cup crèmefraîche, ¼

cup sugar and the liqueur, if using. Whisk until smooth. Lightly beat the egg yolks in another bowl and whisk into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Set aside in awarm place to keep the mixture loose.

3. Meanwhile, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk or a hand mixer and large bowl to beat the egg whites on medium speed until evenly foamy. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining ¾ cup sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until the egg whites are very billowyand hold a peak.

4. Add ¼ of the whites to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth, then scrape into the bowl with the whites. Fold gently until no white streaks remain. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Place on a baking sheet and onto the center oven rack.

5. Bake until center bounces a little when you gently shake the pan and a toothpick inserted 1

½ inches fromthe edge comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

6. Remove the ring and slide onto a serving plate frompan bottom. You can leave the paper in place. Gently pat any crumbling edges back onto the cake. Cake will lastwell wrapped at room temperature for a fewdays and can also be frozen.

7. When readyto serve, chill a bowl and whisk, and use them to whip the remaining ¾ cup crème fraîche. It will thin out at first, then hold its shape. Dust the cake with cocoa powder and slice with a hot knife. Serve each slice with a dollop of crèmefraîche and some of the clementine confit.

Clementine confit

Makes: About ½ cup

4 clementines ( 10 ounces), peeled and segmented

½ cup sugar

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees.

2. Arrange the clementines in a single layer in a small baking dish that fits them snugly. Heat sugar and ½ cupwater in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the clementines, stirring gently to coat.

3. Bake, stirring every 45 minutes or so, until the segments are slightly translucent and tinged brown on the edges, 2 ¼ to 3 hours. Cool completely. Use immediately or cover and store in the syrup. The clementine confit will last for a week at roomtemperature.